1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to utensils for scooping and pouring substances and, more particularly, to a kitchen utensil having a scoop portion and an elongate handle, and wherein the scoop portion is structured for scooping, scraping, measuring, pouring and serving food substances such as condiments, sauces, salad dressing, gravy and the like. The utensil is particularly useful for scraping and scooping substances from bowls, dishes, pans and the like in order to salvage residual which can be easily poured through the narrow opening of a small mouth bottle or other container for storage and subsequent use.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In the preparation and serving of appetizers, main entrees and desserts, the food products used in the recipes for these dishes are removed from their original packaging. For instance, various condiments, dressings, sauces and other liquids, as well as granular or powder substances (e.g. sugar, flour, salt, etc.) are removed from their original packaging and placed into bowls, dishes, pans, etc. in the process of preparation and serving of various recipe dishes. In many instances, the dispensed food product is not entirely consumed and it is possible to salvage the remaining portion for subsequent use. However, the use of conventional utensils such as spoons or ladles to scoop and remove the substance from the serving dish or cooking pan is not always practical or effective. Moreover, it can be extremely difficult to return the substance to its original container, particularly when the original container has a small or narrow opening. For example, condiments and salad dressings are often packaged in bottles which have a narrow neck with a small mouth or opening at the top. In this instance, pouring the substance back into its original container without spilling the substance down the outside of the container is virtually impossible when using a conventional utensil, unless a separate funnel is positioned through the open mouth of the container.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a specifically designed kitchen utensil which is adapted for scraping and scooping substances, such as sauces, salad dressing, condiments and the like, from the surfaces of a serving dish or cooking pan and, wherein the utensil is further structured to facilitate easy pouring of the substance into either large or small mouthed containers without spilling the substance.